Welcome to My World, Obama
Although I agree that Obama has snubbed Muslim voters, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Obama reading the article. American Muslim leadership takes a couple big whacks at him, saying he “betrayed” them. Being disapproved of by American Muslim leadership? I am a charter member of that club, and it looks like Obama just joined. He and I will chase the elusive approval of the American Muslim community. Unlike Obama, I would love to speak at a mosque or a Muslim conference and, on rare occasion, do, but I generally do not meet leadership’s rigid standards.
On the other side, I have right-wingers and religious zealots who think that Muslims’ secret mission is to enslave Christians and establish Muslim rule. Even otherwise polite people I am meeting for the first time and non-professionally will ask me offensive questions, like why haven’t you Muslims condemned 9/11?
I appreciate that politicians have to balance their message and actions with lip service to the evangelicals and hardliners in society. But even President Bush, whose policies have hurt many Muslims, visited a mosque at the time American Muslims needed a visit the most—right after 9/11. Seeing Bush and Secret Service remove their shoes at the mosque entryway, per Islamic custom, touched a place in my heart. I will never forget watching that live broadcast.
I know Obama can remove his shoes and move me too. I, and Muslims around the world, are just waiting for it.
What are you waiting for Obama to do? And if he doesn’t, do you think he is taking your vote for granted?
—Asma
P.S. In our new poll, we want to know if you would vote for Cindy McCain or Michelle Obama. Tell us here.
July 7th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Bush policies has 2 faces. once he meets muslims and remove his shoes was inspiring to all of us. yet he goes and bash and demonize our faith by unleashing his follower and supporter on the media as he gave them the green light to brain wash the regular Joe’s that the islamic faith is equal terror(Islamic terrorist, islamist ,,,,,). this happen on his clock so he is accountable. Mr Obama is no differet as he will pursue the same policies. As a Muslim I want the new president to limit the speech that inspired hatred against minorities as a whole and especially against American Muslim and to appologize tp the Muslim World if he is to be respoected by Muslims. Guess what he will never do that. We Have our faith and we really do not need anyone of these guyss
August 21st, 2008 at 11:18 pm
To YT: You want the new president to apologize to the Muslim world??!!! Absolutely not! It is the Muslim world which should apologize to the non-Muslim world for 1400 years of murder, enslavement and persecution of non-Muslims. Your Muslim supremacism while pretending to be a victim is disgusting.
August 26th, 2008 at 11:04 am
To “Montgedoro”:
Are you kidding me? No one will ever apologize to you unless they have become a murtad apostate! It is you and you alone that needs to do the apologizing (but even that won’t “save” you though many of your people falsely ascribe to a belief that God’s son - what a shameful slander - sacrificed himself to wipe out their sins)!
More people were killed in World War 1 and World War 2 alone than the whole 1400 years of Islam. And those who were killed during the fighting between Muslims and non-Muslims brought it upon themselves for fighting monotheism with polytheism and preventing those who wanted to practice Islam from ruling by Divine Law (which is always *superior* to man-made law). And that was no different than what your nation (or empire more accurately) is doing today. The very notion that Islam was spread by the sword or that people can be forcibly converted with a sword defies all logic and common sense…and there are plenty of resources out there on this topic. It all depends on what you read and where you get your information (and this applies to knowledge of what is actually happening on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan as well). The Internet represents a true free exchange of ideas unlike western and American corporate media organizations and press. Though the US and her denizens continue to proclaim that they are free and that they are the sole arbitrators of this vague concept of freedom! How shameful.
You should start by apologizing first to the Native Americans, the African slaves, the Mexicans who had their land stolen in what is now called Texas, the Japanese (particularly with regards to whoever is left and not completely deformed as a result of Nagasaki and Hiroshima), the Vietnamese, and the Koreans! Then, you can begin apologizing to the people of Palestine for helping to uproot almost all of their communities in service of the self-proclaimed “chosen” race…and to the mothers of all ONE MILLION plus children and infants who died in Iraq as a result of UN generated and US enforced sanctions! Then, after all of this, perhaps we can begin to talk about the sanctions that were leveled against the poorest of nations - Afghanistan (before 911), the wiping out of so many villages all across the artificial Durand Line, the illegal war known as Gulf War 2, and the continuous theft of Muslim resources and support/protection for apostate dictators and tyrants inside almost all of these artificial Muslim nation-states.
But alas, I doubt you will be able to apologize for anything. The mark of a true imperialist is that he or she will stop and nothing, and produce no shortage of lies in order to justify imperialism, racism, and polytheism. Such is the nature and character of Rome.
September 25th, 2008 at 6:43 am
Pakistani nation has paid a heavy price for fighting the war on Terrorism. We would like to be safe in our homes too, but unfortunately the war is escalating over here. The Marriott bombing has un-nerved everyone. One question everyone has is what’s next?
October 2nd, 2008 at 4:08 pm
No one should be apologizing to anyone. We need to get along and move along. USA is a free country and from what I’ve seen everyone is able to get along except for a few be they Muslim, Christians, Democrat, Republican, Black or White. Everyone has a few bad apples and they don’t represent the overall group. We should focus on the future of the country. As a Christian I can see the contributions of Muslims i n many aspects of our communities here and in India despite the threats of terrorists, anti-muslim groups and other radicals.
October 11th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
To “KobeBryantSux”:
You’ll notice that not one of those ethnicities you mention has left the U.S en masse. They are coming to America in droves and enjoy freedom alongside each other. So, I don’t think there are any apologies needed unless it is from those (Muslim or not) who take advantage of our liberties on one hand then seek to harm us on the other. Those individuals are called “hypocrites”. I’m not a Muslim, but I would think that Islam probably does not hold hypocrisy in high regard.